The Mirage
by RiverDoe
Summary: It's hot. Max has got ice cream and Kai is losing his patience, and what is it that Tyson keeps seeing? Oneshot Please RR


Disclaimer: Tyson, Max, Kai and Rei belong to someone else and that someone else is not me.

AN- For Tammy. You wanted to know what they saw, so here it is. And side note: I have major block with LAV so I might just go back to my original plan for that and finish it in another two chapters. Really sorry about that but my muse doesn't wanna sit still with it.

**The Mirage**

Kai wasn't sure what he wanted more: to throw himself into an ice bath or for Tyson to shut up. On normal days, Tyson's complaining was usually easy to tune out, but on days like this, with temperatures at almost record-breaking heights, the heat was making Tyson unbearable. Kai was roasting in the summer heat, he was sweating, he was uncomfortable, his clothes were sticking to his skin and Tyson just would not shut up.

For the past half hour at least, both Kai and Max – Rei had disappeared earlier that morning – had had to listen to Tyson go on and on about how hot it was. Briefly, Kai considered going inside so that Tyson would be out of his hearing range, but one look at the hazy wooden floors made the Russian immediately dismiss the idea. It was far too hot indoors – which was the reason they were all out in the shade of the dojo anyway – to even entertain the idea of going back in again. Outside, though, was proving to be a much worse choice.

All three of them had stripped down to their shorts and were seated around a low table they had managed to drag out. An ice bucket was in the middle of the table, holding a number of cold juice drinks. Kai eyed it sceptically, wandering how long it would be before the ice melted and they'd have to either drink warm drinks or somehow trudge inside for more ice.

"I wish it wasn't so hot out here," Tyson moaned, reaching for the cooler. "Then maybe we could train or something."

"Training out here would be suicide," Max said with a grin. He had braved the inside for a few life-threatening minutes and had emerged with a bowlful of ice-cream which he immediately set into.

Kai watched him with envy, wandering how the blonde was strong enough to go inside without fainting. Tyson was openly drooling as Max scooped out a huge spoonful and shoved it in his mouth. Kai smirked as the blonde almost immediately started to choke and a hint of blue appeared on Max's lips as he swallowed the ice cold ice cream.

"Brain freeze?" Kai asked.

Max swatted at Tyson's roaming hands and grinned back. "Yep!"

"Did you guys see that?" Tyson asked suddenly.

"See what?" Max frowned at him.

"That!" Tyson pointed out at the garden. Max turned in the general direction Tyson's open hand was indicating. Out of curiosity, Kai did the same, but neither could see anything except the tree and the garden wall.

"There's nothing there, Tyson," Max said, and went back to his ice-cream.

"Kai?" Tyson turned to look at the Russian. Kai frowned for a moment at the tree as something flitted behind it but shrugged and turned back to his drink when it didn't appear again. "You saw it, didn't you, Kai?" Tyson asked, accusation clear in his voice.

"There's nothing there, Tyson." Kai repeated Max's words and took a long deep drink of water.

"Yes, there is." Tyson pouted and folded his arms. "Go and have a look if you don't believe me."

Kai glared. Max sensed the tension – and the fact that Tyson's death would be just around the corner if something wasn't done – and played peacemaker.

"What did it look like?" he asked, scooping up another lump of ice-cream. This time he was a little more careful about how fast he ate it.

"Well, it er… looked like a face…" Tyson mumbled, scratching his head with one hand. He cringed when his hair stuck to his skin with the heat and pointed across the garden again. "Right there, behind the tree."

"A face?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No one could stay out there for more than two seconds," Max said, looking out at the garden. "It's way too hot out there."

"You're seeing things, Tyson," Kai agreed. "I think this heat is getting to your brain."

Maybe it'll even melt it for us, too, he added silently, that way we won't have to put up with your stupid ramblings.

"Ah… maybe…" Tyson said, wiping the sweat off his head.

They lapsed into silence, the heat making even conversation a useless distraction for the three boys.

"There it is again!" Tyson shouted, standing up so fast he knocked the table over.

"Tyson!" Max yelled as his ice-cream was tipped over and melted very quickly on the heated decking.

Kai yelped as the open cooler spilled onto his lap. Tyson froze as Kai closed his eyes and began to count to ten.

"Er… Tyson, maybe we better go see if Rei's around," Max suggested, carefully standing and backing away.

Kai made it all the way down to eight before he lunged for Tyson. Tyson turned and ran into the dojo, dodging around Max who stepped back to let Kai past. Kai growled as Tyson slammed and locked the door but quickly gave up when the floor started to tilt and sway beneath him.

"You okay?" Max asked cautiously.

"Fine," Kai growled and then frowned out at the tree. No way, it couldn't be. He chuckled wryly. "Looks like Tyson wasn't seeing things after all."

"Huh?" Max turned to look out at the garden and grinned at the image in front of him.

Rei was dozing in the tree, one leg hanging off the branch, the other resting safely on another branch and attached to a string he was holding in his hand was a paper mask.

The wind ruffled the leaves and once again, the mask disappeared from view, leaving two laughing boys behind.

**End**


End file.
